Ministry of Defence
Wes Streeting has been Secretary of State for Defence since 20 July 2026, according to the UK Parliament Members API. HM Treasury's PESA 2026 records total departmental expenditure limits of £62.0 billion in 2025-26, with plans of £65.1 billion for 2026-27. In 2025-26 prices, the department's total DEL was £55.7 billion in 2021-22 and £62.0 billion in 2025-26. The Cabinet Office's Civil Service Statistics 2026 count 56,915 civil servants (57,500 a year earlier) at 31 March 2026, by headcount. The median salary of its civil servants was £39,120, and 42.0% of those whose sex is recorded were women. The National Audit Office's most recent report listed for the department is "Ministry of Defence Accounts 2025-26" (23 July 2026).
Spending
| Financial year | Total DEL | Resource DEL | Capital DEL | Administration budget | Total managed expenditure | Total DEL, 2025-26 prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 outturn | £45.9 billion | £31.8 billion | £14.2 billion | £1.8 billion | £71.4 billion | £55.7 billion |
| 2022-23 outturn | £52.8 billion | £32.5 billion | £20.3 billion | £1.8 billion | £54.8 billion | £59.8 billion |
| 2023-24 outturn | £53.9 billion | £34.8 billion | £19.2 billion | £1.9 billion | £65.6 billion | £58.1 billion |
| 2024-25 outturn | £60.2 billion | £37.5 billion | £22.7 billion | £2.0 billion | £78.4 billion | £62.3 billion |
| 2025-26 outturn | £62.0 billion | £38.9 billion | £23.1 billion | £2.2 billion | £75.5 billion | £62.0 billion |
| 2026-27 plans | £65.1 billion | £39.6 billion | £25.5 billion | £2.0 billion | £86.3 billion | £63.8 billion |
| 2027-28 plans | £71.0 billion | £41.0 billion | £30.0 billion | £2.0 billion | £93.1 billion | £68.3 billion |
| 2028-29 plans | £73.5 billion | £42.1 billion | £31.5 billion | £2.0 billion | £96.0 billion | £69.4 billion |
Source: HM Treasury, PESA 2026, Chapter 1. What DEL and total managed expenditure cover.
Civil service staff
| Measure | 31 March 2026 | 31 March 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Headcount | 56,915 | 57,500 |
| Full-time equivalent | 54,830 | 55,470 |
| Median salary | £39,120 | – |
| Women, % of known sex | 42.0% | – |
| Responsibility level | Headcount |
|---|---|
| Senior Civil Service | 580 |
| Grade 6 or Grade 7 | 9,315 |
| Senior or Higher Executive Officer | 23,525 |
| Executive Officer | 8,050 |
| Administrative Assistant or Administrative Officer | 13,950 |
| With an unreported grade | 1,500 |
| Organisation | Headcount |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Defence (excl. agencies) | 36,470 |
| Defence Science and Technology Laboratory | 4,840 |
| Defence Equipment and Support | 10,425 |
| Royal Fleet Auxiliary | 1,685 |
| Submarine Delivery Agency | 2,535 |
| UK Hydrographic Office | 955 |
Source: Civil Service Statistics 2026 and 2025, Cabinet Office.
Secretary of State
Wes Streeting (Labour, MP for Ilford North) has held the post of Secretary of State for Defence since 20 July 2026. UK Parliament: career · Wes Streeting's record in Parliament
National Audit Office reports
- Ministry of Defence Accounts 2025-26 23 July 2026
- The repurchase of the service family accommodation estate 26 June 2026
- MoD’s management of losses from fraud and other economic crime 30 January 2026
- Ministry of Defence Accounts 2024-25 4 November 2025
- Management of contracts by the MoD on behalf of Saudi Arabia 10 September 2025
- The Afghanistan Response Route 3 September 2025
- The UK’s F-35 capability 11 July 2025
- Investigation into the MoD’s oversight of the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations 19 March 2025
- Investigation into military support for Ukraine 11 September 2024
- The Equipment Plan 2023 to 2033 4 December 2023
All departments · Budgets and OBR forecasts · Ministry of Defence on GOV.UK
Sources
- HM Treasury: Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2026, Chapter 1 tables · file read 15 October 2026 · SHA-256
0e88d4904e74… - Cabinet Office: Civil Service Statistics 2026, statistical tables · file read 15 October 2026 · SHA-256
d10012973a8f… - Cabinet Office: Civil Service Statistics 2025, statistical tables · file read 15 October 2026 · SHA-256
a72891098003… - UK Parliament Members API: government posts · file read 15 October 2026 · SHA-256
b15347608959… - National Audit Office: reports by department · file read 15 October 2026 · SHA-256
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